The Christian kingdom of Ethiopia was established in the 4th century. By the 12th century, this ancient state had expanded militarily into the Rift Valley. Further conquests to the east provided the land-locked country with access to the Indian Ocean in 1403. During its 15th century "renaissance", the Abyssinian empire controlled an extensive trade network based primarily on the transport of ivory, gold, civet and slaves. Ethiopian traders participated directly in Indian Ocean commerce, maintaining a presence in trade centres in India and elsewhere.